THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — There were more job vacancies in the Netherlands in the second quarter of the year than there were people seeking employment as the economy grew by 3.1% compared with the previous quarter, the country's statistics office reported Tuesday.

It marked the first time job openings have outstripped unemployment since Statistics Netherlands began measuring what it calls tension in the employment market in 2003.

The government statistician said that for every 100 unemployed people, there were 106 jobs available. There were a record 327,000 jobs open at the end of June, with unemployment falling to 3.3%.

The Dutch economy grew by just under 10% from a year ago, when the coronavirus pandemic slammed the brakes on years of growth.

The economic rebound was spurred by consumers spending more as shops, cafes and restaurants reopened from lockdowns, while the government spent heavily on education and health care — including the country's vaccination campaign and COVID-19 testing.